Feedback to the proposed changes of the HFKG and the accreditation process

Position paper

actionuni has given feedback to the proposed financing scheme within the HFKG. For Universities of Applied Sciences, the model 85/15 is preferred unanimously, implying a moderate shift towards giving research a higher importance. Among the members of the universities, no clear consent was reached which financing model should be used.

A second feedback was requested regarding the topic of a simplified second accreditation process for universities, which have passed a first accreditation without obligations. actionuni supports the position of the Swiss Accreditation Council to postpone the decision whether and how a simplified accreditation process should be implemented until 2019 once more experience about the new accreditation system has been gathered.

Antwort Vernehmlassung Finanzierung HFKG

Antwort Vernehmlassung Vereinfachte Akkreditierung

actionuni establishes contact with AAQ

Events

On 12 May, actionuni co-presidents met with Christoph Grollimund, director of the Swiss Agency for Accreditation and Quality Assurance, AAQ. It was agreed to meet twice a year for an informal exchange on topics around the ongoing accreditation processes, timeline and challenges as experienced by the AAQ.

Feeback to the proposed change to add the Specialised Maturity Certificate as an entry point into Swiss universities

Position paper

Das SBFI schlägt eine Revision der “Verordnung über die Ergänzungsprüfung für die Zulassung von Inhaberinnen und Inhabern eines eidgenössischen Berufsmaturitätszeugnisses zu den universitären Hochschulen” vor, die es neu auch Inhaberinnen und Inhabern einer gesamtschweizerisch anerkannten Fachmaturität den Zugang zu den universitären Hochschulen ermöglicht.

actionuni begrüsst die vorgeschlagene Ergänzung.

Vernehmlassungsantwort Fachmaturität

Eurodoc 2016. Early stage researchers’ training – which future?

Events

Salome Adam, William Ralvenius and Clemens Nyffeler attended to annual Eurodoc conference as well as the Annual General Meeting in Luxembourg from 20-23 April 2016.

They have written an interesting report about discussions on the future of young researchers in Europe, European funding schemes and eastern european PhD training…

Continue reading Eurodoc 2016. Early stage researchers’ training – which future? →

actionuni attends hearing of the Science, Education and Culture Committee SECC

Events, Position paper

On 13 April 2016, co-president Florian Lippke (University of Fribourg) represented actionuni during a hearing of Science, Education and Culture Committee SECC of the National Council (WBK-N / CSEC-N). The hearing regarded the recently released federal message on education, research and innovation policy.

actionuni stressed as its main points:

  • Increase the financial growth rate in the message to 3-4% annually
  • Not to jeopardize those actions that are aimed at improving career paths for young researchers if there are budget cuts
  • Increase the number of new Tenure Track positions from 40  to 100 new positions per year
  • Definition of concrete actions and indicators for measuring the success of reaching the goal of improving careers for young researchers.

A position paper to support Florian Lippke’s presentation was developed by the board:

BFI-Botschaft 2017-2020_Position Mittelbau_WBK-N 13-04-16_d

Message FRI 2017-2020_Positions Corps intermédiaire_CSEC-N 13-04-16_f

WBK-N_Präsentation_Lippke_actionuni_FR

New structure of presidency of actionuni

Internal

Last week, on 6 April,  actionuni held its yearly assembly of delegates. Amongst other business, the board was elected, seeing some old and new faces.

Carla Duss (PH Lucerne) and Andrea Tamas (ZHAW) were confirmed as co-presidents; additionally SAR-representative Florian Lippke (University of Fribourg) was elected as co-president. The change to having three instead of two co-presidents was initiated by the board and acknowledges the importance to always represent the three types of universities in Switzerland.

Continue reading New structure of presidency of actionuni →

actionuni meets with swissuniversities, VSS and swissfaculty

Events

Last week, three members of the board of actionuni were invited to a meeting with the new president of swissuniversities, Prof. Dr. Michael Hengartner, the secretary general and vice secretary general of swissuniversities, Dr. Martina Weiss and Dr. Sabine Felder, as well as representatives of VSS and swissfaculty.

We had an open brainstorming about topics that could be of common interest and should therefore be pursued jointly in the future. Moreover, we addressed the issue that actionuni is not represented in any of swissuniversities’ commitees .

The following important issues where we prospectively should work together were identified:

  • political statements
  • commitment for a Switzerlands integration into the European research and innovation area
  • exchange about career options for young researchers

The federal message on education, research and innovation policy has been published

Press release, Resources and documents, SBFI

The BFI-Botschaft / message FRI / messaggio ERI has been defined on 25 February 2016 by the Federal Council. According to the government, in the next four years investments in research and education shall  grow 2%, which is significantly less than in the previous period. This is stated in the federal message on education, research and innovation policy for the years 2017-2010 (BFI-Botschaft), which was passed on 24th February. Back in November 2015, in the course of the stabilisation programm for the national finances 2017-2019 which is currently being negotiated, growth in investments had already been reduced from 3.2 to 2.2 %.  According to a response by swissuniversities, the Swiss National Science Foundation, the ETHs and the Swiss Academies of Arts and Sciences this puts the role of Switzerland in the area of research, education and innovation into jeopardy at a moment in time in which the country threatens to lose its access to European research programmes. The total budget projected for research and education amounts to 26 billion CHF. Continue reading The federal message on education, research and innovation policy has been published →